McCain broke the FCC Rules in 1999 -- "Inadvertently"

[Bumblebee]

McCain's FCC Dealings Draw Renewed Scrutiny

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87783425

Republican presidential candidate and Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Senate's champion of campaign finance reform, has been dogged by questions about an old fight over TV licenses in Pittsburgh. In 1999, he wrote letters prodding the Federal Communications Commission to vote on the case. He said he wasn't taking sides.

This case was dissected when McCain first ran for president, in 2000 and again this month. It is the same case that caused controversy last week when the New York Times wrote about it.

...

The commission went 3-2 for the broadcasters, but the business deal later collapsed.

Jerrold Starr's community group filed a legal complaint, that by intervening at all, McCain had broken the rules. Eight months later, FCC lawyers said he had broken the rules — but only inadvertently.